A deal
by darkangel-allways
Summary: Unsatisfied with his current life, a desperate lonely man draws a summoning circle in hopes of buying himself a friend. The friend he receives is not exactly what he had in mind, but world and soul be damned, he is happy that he is no longer alone.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: A thank you to phantomrose96 for the idea that actually pulled me out of my huge writer's block. Apologies for any grammar and spelling mistakes, I did my best to try and spot them.

* * *

He really did want to blame the freak storm on a freak coincidence, on just another misfortune is a series of misfortunes that had befallen on him that day. But at the same time, he wanted to take it as a sign that what he was about to do was something very dangerous, something that if he did, it would work and as such, everything around him - be it natural or synthetic- had it out for him and tried to stop him. After all, summoning a demon was a taboo, right?

"Or maybe I am just extremely unlucky," he grumbled, slapping his hand against his forehead, groaning when the stinging sensation from his hand reminded him that he had cut his hand when that very angry –or very hungry, he wasn't sure- bear that chased him down. Which happened after his GPS suddenly broke, followed by that gust of wind that blew the map from his hands, continuing with the car breaking down, closely followed by his tent being blown away by a very powerful gust of wind, then that bear and now the storm.

"In case this thing does actually work and I really am up against the world… you could cut me some slack over here!" he yelled on top of his lungs, kicking the ground and yelling in frustration when he realized that he had managed to ruin half of the summoning circle again. "I am doing it because you somehow deemed me unworthy of being good enough to have friends!" he hissed under his breath while on his knees in mud, trying his best to make sure that this time the sticks and stones he used wouldn't be disturbed by anything –himself included.

Now, the man was more than aware that his current mission might cause some people to label him as insane, but he saw himself as desperate more than anything. He had gotten the idea from one of his coworkers who had suggested that he do this, although it had been a mean joke, of that he was sure. He had ignored the idea at first, as any sane man would do, but he then suddenly woke up in the middle of the night a few weeks ago and decided that perhaps it wasn't such a horrible idea after all. Selling his soul for a best friend was actually a good idea!

And so, the day following his great revelation, Aiden Heinrich took two weeks off from work and then started his research. Granted, it was a hard thing to research since almost everything had led to a TV show or some sort of a scam. He was just about ready to call it quits and go back to his normal, boring and rather lonely life when a link had caught his eyes.

It wasn't something special, a simple add from an old man selling his book. But the picture that had been uploaded seemed to hypnotize him. A cold shiver ran up his spine and he had the sudden urge to make a cross and close the computer, his stomach dropping. He felt queasy and the world decided to turn faster, but when the ill feeling went away, he found himself staring at his mail, reading a message from the book's seller in which he was informed that the price he had offered was the right one and that he would meet with him in two days to give him the book.

They met in a mall and the sight of the man made him feel sick again. There wasn't anything special about the man himself. In fact, he looked and dressed plain and Aiden was sure that he wouldn't even take notice of him if he didn't have to deal with him. That was, until you looked into his eyes. Into very empty eyes that he couldn't even remember the color of.

The eyes on their own were very unsettling, but when you added the way he talked and smiled together with the very soulless gaze, chills ran up and down Aiden's spine, a jolt of energy surging through his legs which he had to physically fight back and yell at himself in his mind to keep himself still and not away.

"This book is very old and very powerful, boy." The man said in the sweetest voice tone he had ever heard, flashing him full dental smile that would probably haunt Aiden in his deepest nightmares for weeks to come. "You must be very careful what you use it for. You wouldn't want to unleash that which you cannot control, now do you?"

The meeting only lasted 30 minutes, but it was enough for Aiden to find himself emptying his guts in the public bathroom not five minutes after it had ended, wallet 5.000 dollars lighter, book tightly clutched at his chest.

But now, as the cold rain drops hit him, shivering from the cold almost winter like wind, covered in dirt and various cuts, Aiden couldn't help but wonder if perhaps he had simply fallen victim to a great scam. Was the spell he had found in the book actually going to work? The summoning spell that he was trying to do had been the only one that he could actually understand. But what is legit?

What if he had just spent 5.000 dollars on a book filled with random words in a made up language with one silly little game written with some sense of reason smacked right in the middle of the book? He only had that washed up Merlin's word, empty eyes and creepy smile to go on. What if, by now, that Sauron wannabe was somewhere in Las Vegas, drinking and gambling away his money?

"Oh, this is just ridiculous," Aiden suddenly muttered, blinking and looking around, starting to laugh at his own desperation and ridiculousness. "Me? Summoning a demon? Oh my… I have completely lost my mind," he muttered, resting his head against the center of the intricate summoning circle, running his bloody hand over the small rocks that made up a funny looking rune.

"Yes, yes if you could pay attention to me and not to your pathetic existential crisis, that would be wonderful," a rather deep voice rang over the sound of the rain, completely drowning it out.

Aiden's head snapped up, ears hurting at the deafening silence that suddenly surrounded him and he was greeted with by sight of a very peculiar looking… human? He had arms and legs and a head, but the part of the legs he could make out was covered with red scales and the fingers were actually sharp talons, long strand of blond hair resting on a head with two very pronounced bumps that looked very much like horns. The air behind the strange humanoid seemed to move, somehow, as if it was cut by some invisible force, three fiery wisps floating a few centimeters above the horn-like-bumps as if they were a crown.

Gulping and clenching his hands into fists as if that would somehow give him some form of strength or courage, Aiden's shaky voice broke the silence. "Who…who are you?"

The human-like creature narrowed his cat-like yellow eyes and rested his hands on his hips, tilting his head to the left and huffing in annoyance. "You know not who you summon?" He spoke, a serpent's tongue lashing out from behind the red lips, a glimpse of very sharp fangs further scaring Aiden.

"I summoned…a demon?" Aiden asked more than answered, shivering a bit when the humanoid moved to wrap a long coat around his tall frame, only now realizing that the rain completely avoided him. Did he actually summon a demon? Did it actually work?

Ignoring the glare that was thrown at him, Aiden threw all caution into the wind and moved his hand to touch the scales that were peeking from under a strange dress like garment. His skin burned at the contact, but he fought back the pain and moved on to poke at the talons, a smile on his lips and amazement in his eyes. He had actually done it!

"And all without a virgin sacrifice," the man declared loudly, wrapping his arms around the demon's waist, hugging him tightly all the while ignoring the angry hiss erupting from his own clothes and skin at the contact alongside the demon's clear discomfort.

"You are all so pathetic and simpleminded," the demon growled, pushing Aiden away with little to no effort. "Nowhere, not one place, does it say that the blood needs to come from a virgin. Only that it has to be virgin blood, blood that hasn't been used before," he continued to explain, flicking Aiden's forehead only to roll his eyes when the man wrapped his hands around his.

"Oh thank God," Aiden breathed out, resting his head against the demon's hand, actually comfortable at the heat and doing his best to ignore the stinging sensation that was quite quick to replace the pleasant warmness.

The demon snorted, shaking his head as he backed away from the kneeling human. "Amusing as your dumbness might be, I am quite a busy person. Yes, I am to be considered a person even if I am who I am," he added quickly, expecting the summoner to try and correct him, to refer to him as a monster or whatever new words humanity came up to name powerful beings that could splat them like bugs. "So, make it quick before I grow completely bored of your presence."

"Can you grow bored of something that is amusing?" Aiden found himself asking the demon, not quite sure of what he was doing. He was aware that he was supposed to be afraid and tremble, but in all honesty he wasn't. He was intrigued, shocked, thrilled and curious, but not scared. He'd get more nightmares from the man that sold him the book than the demonic creature that currently towered over him.

"You'd be surprised," the demon answered after a few seconds, rolling his eyes. "Punishing your kind for their sins had been amusing for the first few hundred years, but you people never learn."

Nodding slowly, closed his eyes and made a small approving noise. "I see what you are saying, but if you add new things to what amused you in the first place…" Aiden trailed off, suddenly realizing that he was about to encourage a demon to find new ways of tormenting souls for eternity.

This time, the demon actually laughed loudly, throwing his head back and resting one of his hands on his chest while the area around him shook and trees broke in half. "You are soft in the head, of that I am sure." Opening one eye, the demon brought his clawed hand under Aiden's chin and pushed it up a bit. "Tell me your name and that which you are selling your soul for. I am in a good mood and I will not twist your wish against you. Power? Money? Eternal life? I will even stop your body and internal organs from aging if you want the last one."

Blinking a few times, Aiden smiled at the demon, looking away and fidgeting, completely unaware of the thin scratches that were now decorating his chin and neck. "No, but thank you very much for the suggestions. They are very interesting, but what I want is…" sighing, he mumbled, blushing when the demon tut-tutted at him in a scolding manner while moving his ear closer to him. "A best friend…I will give you my soul in exchange for a best friend."

The demon seemed confused and Aiden thought about explain again, but before he could even say a word, sharp claws were wrapped around his neck, drawing blood as the hold tightened. "You dare mock me, pathetic worm? You dare mock that which you do not know? You dare try to prank he who can turn you back into the earth from which your wretched ancestors were made of in the blink of an eye, making you feel all the pain that was and will be in the process?"

Surprised at the demon's reaction, Aiden tried desperately between gasps and hisses of pain to explain that he was not mocking the demon. He really did only want a best friend in exchange for his soul. Was it that hard to believe? He had acquaintances, yes and family, but no one really to call his friend, his best friend. There was something about him, a girl had once said while dumping him, that turned people away.

"Is what I am asking you so hard to give?" He gasped out, clawing at the hands around his neck. "Please, just take my soul and give me a friend!"

The demon released Aiden and backed away from him as if the human had suddenly been covered in holy water. "You are serious. You… You actually summoned me so you could get a friend." He hissed, clasping his hands behind his back and closing his eyes.

Aiden was gasping for air and trembling with fear, terrified wide eyes glued on the silent creature before him. And yet, Aiden realized, he had been more afraid of dying without knowing what a real friend was than of the fact that a demon had probably been seconds away from strangling him.

"I'll be your friend," the demon said suddenly, dragging Aiden up and away from the runes, chucking at the gasp his client made when he stepped out of the summoning circle. "Call me Lucien and know that we'll be best friends until you die and then your soul will be my own personal toy until the end of all eternity."

Stopping under a tree, he shook himself, losing all of his demonic traits, the wisps of fire that made up a crown becoming dim until they completely vanished. He patted Aiden on the back and then flicked his forehead, frowning when the human blankly stared back at him.

"I don't know what to do," Aiden uttered softly, scratching the back of his head, looking utterly embarrassed, much to the amusement of Lucien.

"I am the one who is supposed to not understand how the whole humanity works," the demon supplied, moving his hand around and summoning a large tent over them. "What do you want me to call you?"

"How rude of me! I am Aiden, Aiden Heinrich. I've been an accountant for the last five years and what about—" The question died instantly on his lips, covering his face with his hands when Lucien started laughing again, a powerful slap against his back sending him face down into a soft bed that had suddenly materialized in front of him.

"I…Just, thank you. I know this is nothing more than a deal for you and that I will suffer until the end of time for a few moments of happiness, but for me it's…Really, thank you." Aiden whispered softly, finally finding his voice again.

"End of eternity, actually. Believe it or not, time does end while eternity, although technically speaking, being a result of time existing, actually extends before and after the existence of time and can continue even if time has ended. " Slowly starting to fade away, he held his hand up to stop Aided from moving. "You actually summoned a very powerful demon, Aiden. A demon whose attention is required back in his own plane of existence. But I'll be back before you know it. Your antics and innocence are too amusing to miss."

A heartbeat later, Aiden was alone in the tent, a heavy smell rotten eggs making him feel slightly queasy. He slowly sat down on the bed, had resting on his chest, his mind finally catching up with what he had done. Yet, strangely enough, he felt at ease. He wasn't panicking, he wasn't regretting his actions. In fact, he could safely say that he was the happiest he'd ever been in his life.

Snuggling under the very comfortable covers, sleep came surprisingly easily to him and he was more than happy to enter that world where a bear was offering him chamomile tea with honey and vanilla flavored cakes. He was aware that it was a dream and at one point, a large group of shadows tried to barge in, angry whispering drowning out the cute tale the bear was sharing with him. Panic entered his heart for a single moment, the angry whispers silenced by rumble that made him think of his newly bough friend.

"Ah, excuse me," Aiden said suddenly when the bear called out his name, shielding his eyes from the sun. "I thought I heard someone."

"You must be mistaken, Aiden. We're the only ones here," the bear answered with a laugh, serving more him more tea and continuing his tale, the angry whisper completely disappearing from the human's thoughts.

***TBC***


	2. Chapter 2

Fixed some mistakes in the previous chapter. Enjoy~

* * *

Hell was not exactly the way humans liked to envision it. Yes, there were large lava pits and various cauldrons where the souls of the sinners suffered for all eternity, along with large mountains that were alight with a forever burning fire and countless forests made out of the flesh of the damned. But there were also places that could rival the ancient Roman and Greek temples, with exotic and unique plants, lakes and gardens that could easily fool anyone into thinking they were in heaven.

The realm of sinners was also ruled by a strict code, one that all of Hell's creatures had to follow to the letter. But the existence of the code and Hell was nothing more than a simple punishment for the one who had been the first to turn his back on his creator. No matter how much his kind praised him and claimed to love him, it was in their nature to break rules. It was that stubbornness that had caused the creation of Hell in the first place anyway. And whenever the code was broken or someone spoke against it, a meeting had to be held which always lasted too long in the fallen one's opinion.

He was chained to this world, but not by an actual chain. It was his duty towards all those who had followed him and all those who had been created that bounded him to the sinners' realm. He could feel his gold plated armor grow heavy and useless as time went on, his confusion over why his Father had chosen humans and his disgust towards them only increasing.

And then, in the middle of a seemingly endless meeting, just as the Supreme Evil was about to fall asleep, they felt a powerful summon being successfully completed. A heavy silence fell over the large hall, everyone turning to look at a seat that had been left empty ever since its occupant had returned in honest-to-God tears, relinquishing his title and cursing his condition and existence as a demon.

"I will deal with this myself," said the Lord of Lies before a young general could actually open his mouth and offer to show abilities, running his sharp talons over his neck. "It has been ages since anyone felt such powerful call coming from such a pure soul." Pausing to tilt his head and flex his six bat-like wings, the devil grinned at the shy murmurs that filled the large hall. "Now really, don't you all agree that I should be the one to taint it and drag it here in exchange for something short-lived?"

Not that he actually waited or cared for any of their answers and before they could even blink, their lord had presented himself to the human who had sought their help. Everyone was silent as they listened in on the conversation between their lord and the human, the shadows around them suddenly filling with a million curious eyes. And when the deal was struck, Hell shook and roars of shock and anger filled Lucien's ears, the generals demanding his presence and attention.

"I will cut the mortal's limbs and claw his soul out through his eyes!" was the first thing that had greeted the newly named Lucien, more demons quickly coming up with more painful ways of death for the human who had dared shackle their lord and guide to his side.

The anger grew so much that some of the demons even dared to enter the human's mind, trying to invade his dream and make him lose his mind before losing his life and soul. But Lucien refused to allow anyone touch his client and quickly followed them to Aiden's Dream Realm from which he expelled them and locked them out.

"No one is to make a move against him unless I say so," he explained slowly, not too much unlike a father would. "I am allowed a distraction every now and then and it just so happens that this is it. Would you dare deny me that which I want?"

None dared to open their mouths and argue, but it was clear they were not happy. Not that the demon cared. After all, who were they to dare question his decisions? And, although the soul that had been offered in exchange for friendship was purer than of the human who had caused his old friend to shed human tears and grow a soul of his own, he had nothing to fear.

"That being said, when the human calls, I will answer," Lucien said, sighing when the generals' started to scream again, some even going as far as to grab at his wings and beg him to reconsider and let them take his place in the contract.

"Enough!" He yelled, hitting the edge of the table so hard that it cracked right in the middle, sending the generals cowering in the hall's corners. "You will all obey my word! And if anyone dares to interfere, I will see to his punishment myself." Taking a deep breath and sitting back down, he continued in a softer voice. "It is not like I will neglect my duty towards you, if that is what scares you."

Of course no one felt any better at hearing that, clear that their ruler's attention was already divided between them and the human. But they all knew better than to say anything anymore and they continued the meeting, although Lucien had rushed it, dismissing the details that he considered to be useless and appointing five demons to deal with what he considered as trivial matters while he was away.

"I followed your lead from Heaven's gates to Hell's birth, my lord," the eldest of his generals spoke softly after all the other creatures left the hall. "I never wavered in following your commands and I never doubted your decisions or words. And I never will."

"And yet you speak as if you are doing just that."

The general bowed his head and closed his eyes, visibly rethinking his next words. "Humans are strange. One can kill millions without remorse while another sacrifices himself without a second thought to save another. My lord has mainly interacted with only the first type and I must express my concerns…"

"Express your concerns for what?" Lucien interrupted, frowning. "All humans are the same, in the end. And though the deal is strange now, he will grow greedy and he will ask many things of me. Just give him time. Time taints all souls."

"May Hell's fire keep you warm in the coldest of winters and may the shadows of the sinful keep you shielded from the angels' wrath." The old general said slowly, bowing his head low, even though it was clear that he was not satisfied that the conversation had been dismissed.

"May the fires burn even stronger upon my return, Ba'al."

***TBC***


	3. Chapter 3

No beta. Please excuse the mistakes and enjoy.

* * *

It wasn't that he couldn't make friends, Aiden had explained to the demon on their way out of the forest. It was simply that his friends were more acquaintances than friends and there was always something that stopped him from getting a real best friend. He had tried to say more, but his words were stopped by the not so sudden appearance of a root out of the ground on which he tripped and caused his mouth to fill with mud. And Lucien laughed.

Laughing was something Lucien rarely did back in his own domain, but when he was with Aiden, the man was so clumsy and socially awkward –and when a demon says that you, a human, are socially awkward, then you might want to seek out help- that it was impossible for Lucien to observe him for more than five minutes without laughing. So it was easy to say that the devil's mood had greatly increased since he struck the deal with the human. Not that any of his demons were keen to point that fact out.

Aiden, for his part, tried really hard to be a good best friend. Not even a day after striking the deal with the demon, he found himself online, seeking advice as to how to become that perfect best friend. Of course, the advice he took never had the wanted result and, after somehow managing to cover Lucien from head to toe with flour five weeks into their friendship, Aiden actually started crying.

Lucien was completely lost. He was used with people crying, he even had enjoyed that at one point in his long existence. And yet, when Aiden started to cry, he found himself annoyed and angry and wishing to find a way to stop the wails. "What is it?" He had asked in a voice a little louder than he would have wanted it. "I am the one covered in flour, not you. Is it because I am wearing your shirt?"

That question only made Aiden cry even more and Lucien started to actually fret and pace around the room, snapping his fingers and cleaning the shirt while also baking the cake instantly. "Devil's food cake? Really? How are you still alive with jokes like these, Aiden?" the demon mumbled under his breath, shoving the baked good in the human's face, hoping that would stop his crying.

"I am sorry!" Aiden said suddenly and looked up, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hands, hiccuping. "I just tried to…The website said…" The explanation was lost in more hiccups and sobs and Lucien carried on looking strangely at the sight before him, still completely lost.

"What are you sobbing on about?" he asked carefully after Aiden's sobs died down a bit and the human slumped down on a chair in the kitchen, afraid that any sort of noise would bring about a new round of tears.

"The cake was supposed to be a thank you," Aiden said lamely, hiding his face in his hands.

"Don't you dare start crying again, or I will give you a reason to cry!" Lucien warned, actually slapping himself when the human flinched. "Look, we have a deal. And while you are by far the strangest human I've met…" He trailed off, unsure of what he had wanted to convey. "Look, you gave me your soul for this friendship. You don't have to try."

Aiden looked like he was about to burst into tears again and Lucian visibly cringed, taking a step back. But instead, the human just smiled at him. "Still, I want to try. I really do. I gave you my soul so you would be my best friend, but our deal said nothing about me being yours. So I want to try my best."

That conversation had never been continued and both of them seemed more than happy to pretend like it never happen. For Aiden, because he was more than embarrassed that he had actually cried at his age, while Lucien was shocked that he had felt happy when he heard that Aiden wanted to do his best at being his friend – at least he thought that was what he had felt. He wasn't one hundred percent sure that his kind could feel that. Pleasure, yes. Happiness…Not so much.

Later, much later, while the two were spending Aiden's lunch time in a little dinner not too far away from his office, the human trying to drink his coffee without spilling it on himself while the demon was busy enjoying a rather painful 'kick-my-human-under-the-table-because-I-had-a-boring-day' game, Lucien admitted to himself that he quite liked the awkward and clumsy human's presence in his…existence.

"So?" Aiden's voice cut through Lucien's thoughts. "I said, I think we should get you some new clothes," he repeated after a few moments of silence and confused stares from him demonic companion.

"I quite like what I am wearing," Lucien said slowly, kicking the human just as his lips touched the coffee mug's rim, satisfied with the yelp that followed and the new coffee stain that became part of Aiden's white shirt pattern. "You have no sense of self preservation. You are the only one I ever met that actually had the guts to insult me," Lucien continued, managing to sound annoyed.

"I didn't mean to offend and you know it. Just thought you might want new clothes in case you decided to not leave me all alone at that party my company is throwing," Aiden said casually, more interested with his shirt than Lucien's fake anger. "The stain will settle…"

Following a kick that, to Aiden, it clearly said 'pay-attention-to-me', the human slowly started his story from the top. How one of coworkers had approached him that morning and asked him if he would attend the party and about how she started insisted that he did when he gave her a negative answer, resting her hands on his left should and asking him in a lowered voice tone if he wouldn't mind bringing his brother.

"You don't have a brother," Lucien pointed out, poking Aiden's chest to make the stain disappear, thus ensuring that he had the human's full attention.

"You know, if the whole Satan thing doesn't work out, you can open your own dry cleaners," Aiden tried to joke, quickly losing his confidence and ending his joke in a few awkward laughs and nervous scratches on the back of his neck. Lucien wondered, every now and then, if perhaps Aiden would one day scratch that spot so hard that he'd rip some flesh off.

Lucien slowly raised his left eyebrow and looked at Aiden for a few awkward seconds, enjoying the way the other man was slowly starting to squirm under his gaze. "You were saying something about your nonexistent brother?"

"Ah, yes! She was actually talking about you. See, she saw us leaving together for lunch these past few months and…"

"And because I hang around you every day, I have to be related to you somehow? She sounds like such a wonderful person," the demon finished for Aiden, tapping the table with talons instead of normal fingers, running his snake like tongue over his upper fangs.

Confused at Lucien's rather sudden anger, Aiden felt the need to apologize and explain his coworker. "She is quite nice, really. She is kind to me and I can't quite find a reason to blame her for thinking we are related…"

"Even a blind person can tell that we are not related," the demon grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest, reverting back to more human-like features and ending up reminding Aiden of a pouting child.

In the end the "Okay so maybe being related to me is not the greatest thing in the world…" seemed like a really unwise choice of words since the demon flew into a blind fit of rage as soon as they left Aiden's lips.

The demon hit the table as hard as he could and split it in half. Aiden flinched, but otherwise remained as still as he could, watching with the corner of his eyes as the world in the diner came to a pause, time ceasing the flow. Shadows were the only things that moved around them now, shadows with millions of eyes that moved between the human and their Lord, eyes that narrowed and fixated on him, eyes that looked murderous and promising thousand years of pain.

When two very warm hands with very sharp claws rested on his shoulders, Aiden felt a shiver of fear go down his spine and he tried to get his mouth to move, tried to find the right words to ask Lucien to calm down. But he couldn't look away from a particular pair of bored eyes that never moved from him and he felt his hands clutch at Lucien's arms.

"What is it?" Lucien seethed, his hold on the human relaxing a bit despite the present anger in his voice, the contact between the two acting as a sort of reminded that he had a grip on the one human he didn't really want to hurt. "I am not angry with you, I promise" he added in a more human voice, trying to reassure Aiden.

"Not you…" Aiden whispered, closing his eyes. "They," he whimpered, moving his head a bit, showing Lucien the way the world had twisted around them.

Lucien was silent, his eyes focusing on the demons that danced in the shadows around them, quietly telling to return back to their world and turn away from the private conversation. Just as the last shadow was disappearing – Ba'al himself, Lucien was sure- he heard a question which he refused to acknowledge or think about.

"I don't think she meant to offend, Lucien" Aiden spoke after a few moments, releasing the demon's arms and relaxing a bit when he saw that the shadows were gone. "I kind of like her. A bit. Not too much. She has always been nice to me," he continued to mumble, face going red. "Please, please, do not send…" He trailed off, looking up at Lucien a bit with pleading eyes.

"The deal was for a best friend, in case your feeble memory failed you yet again," Lucien said slowly, letting go of the human and throwing himself back on his chair, time resuming its natural flow, the table back in one piece. "And, as a best friend, I will come with you. At least, it is something a best friend would do if those websites you totally do not check out anymore know what they are talking about

Aiden rewarded the demon with a smile and a cascade of thanks, stopping from his semi-dance of joy only when the waitress – an old woman with incredible hearing for her age as far as Lucien was concerned- tapped him on the shoulder and pointed at the small puddle of coffee that was in front of him.

The woman actually looked like she was one step away from tapping her foot at them, the way she glared while holding the coffee pot really close to Aiden's face. "If you two are done playing footsie, would you like more coffee?"

Aiden was quick to shake his head, Lucien openly laughing at the man's embarrassment. But before he could explain to the waitress that they weren't playing footsie, the woman was already three tables down, grunting out the daily special. Lucien had to double check just to be sure that she wasn't one of his kind.

They spent the last ten minutes of Aiden's lunch break in a friendly banter of sorts about how Aiden insisting on actually buying clothes while the demon kept on morphing into new clothes, just to prove a point – no one noticed, he'd told Aiden when he thought the human was becoming too jumpy, always checking the door to make sure that no priest would suddenly appear and start hosing them down with holy water.

But as he watched Aiden leave, the closest cast shadow moved a bit and two pair of eyes appeared. "_Why did you lose your temper, my lord?"_ It repeated, disappearing fully when the devil hit it with his fist. Really, you shouldn't ask pesky questions that don't really have an answer, Lucien though before walking out of the diner.

~~TBC~~


	4. Chapter 4

No beta. The following chapter includes violence, hints of torture and hints at sexual situations. Enjoy.

* * *

The day wasn't supposed to end like this, Lucien though. Aiden wasn't supposed to be lying in a hospital bed, with wires sticking out of his arms being and looking paler than the sheets that covered the bed. He, the Lord of Lies, wasn't supposed to actually feel bad by this outcome and be by the man's side. But when all things were said and done, it had been his bright idea that landed Aiden in the hospital and all he could do was watch over the human.

The idea had seemed like a good one at the start of the day. Between their conversation about the party on that slow afternoon in the diner and the party itself, six weeks had passed. And in those weeks, Lucien had actually realized that Aiden had no luck with women whatsoever. He also noticed that his coworkers –some of which had started eating their lunches in the same diner and at the same table as them- mocked Aiden for his inability to 'get laid'. And that didn't sit all too well with the demon.

He would show them, Lucien decided in the early hours of the D day. He would make sure that every one of Aiden's coworkers that mocked him would eat their words and die of envy by having the unlucky human show up at the party with four very beautiful women by his side. Of course, no one needed to know that the four were actually succubi. Well, no one except Aiden.

"I think I am sorry that you are almost dead, Aiden," he muttered and sighed, thinking that he might actually be feeling tired. "And that is really a strange thing for me, you know," he continued to say, actually resting his head on the bed and closing his eyes.

They had been instructed to follow Aiden's orders without another thought and to firstly tell Aiden what they were and to explain to him what that meant, in case he didn't know what a succubus was and what they fed on. He'd then sent them on their merry way, with a little note that said he'd see the human directly at the party since he had matters he needed to personally attend to.

"A-ah, why did he go and do this?" Aiden asked, feeling very uncomfortable since the quartet insisted on rubbing against him and nibbling on different parts of his head while delivering their little speech. "L-ladies, let's go inside and talk about this! I am not sure this is a good plan."

"Oh we can go inside and do whatever you want," the blonde giggled, licking his neck and biting down on his ear, the other three giggling at the yelp Aiden let out and at his attempts to shake them off once they had entered the apartment.

By some miracle, he managed to get them away from him long enough to grab what he was planning on wearing to the party and to lock himself inside the bathroom. They knocked and begged to be let in, slipping innuendos in their pleas, doing their best pouts at the continued negative answers they'd get even if no one was actually there to see their faces.

In the end, the four succubi managed to come up with a story about how they would be punished if Aiden would refuse their presence at the party and, after swearing that they wouldn't do anything to any of his coworkers – and yes, feeding on them did count as doing something-, Aiden reluctantly opened the door and allowed them to drag him to the party, groping and petting all the way there.

If it was possible for jaws to hit the ground without people dying, the floor would have been littered with them. Aiden was red as each and every one of his coworkers looked at him and whistled, the four temptresses making sure to grab the attention of everyone in the room and focus it on them.

Everyone was jealous of Aiden and Lucien was watching and feeding on their sinful thoughts from a dark corner of the bar, a beautiful woman dressed in a dark brown conservative dress, with a tightly fitted bodice and conservative skirt and sleeve lengths as well as a high collar, sitting by his side.

"Appearing as a woman, Asmodeus?" Lucien laughed. "And the Victorian age ended a long time ago," he teased.

Bowing her head a bit, Asmodeus smiled a little. "It is a curse that we, those who were granted the title of prince of Hell and who also govern over one of the deadly seven sins, have to bare, my lord. And that is to appear as the gender envisioned by humanity while walking among the mortals, my lord." Chuckling, the woman moved closer to the demon, lowering her voice. "And the Victorian era was when my sin ruled above all."

Nodding his head, Lucien continued to survey the party, deeming it boring and strict, while the ruler of Lust also voiced her displeasure at the decent dancing that was going on. "I could spice up the party some a bit," the woman whispered in Lucian's ear a few moments later, elegant fingers drawing a complicated pattern in the air, the whole atmosphere shifting. The lights became dimmer, the red more intense, the air hotter, the gravity around everyone becoming more powerful, forcing them to get closer to each other.

"No more than this," Lucien instructed, resting his head in the woman's lap, stretching lazily and shedding some of his human appearance.

She faked a sigh, but did as instructed and slowly started to massage his temples and scratch his horns. "You care so much for this human. Too much, some fools whisper in the deepest crevice of Hell," she said softly, carefully choosing her words. "Not me, of course. After all, humans disappear in a blink of an eye and then we will have your full attention again since you care so little for these souls after your prove your point."

Tilting her head back, her attention shifted from Lucien to the one human surrounded by her creatures on the dance floor. She licked her lips and started to nibble on her thumb. "Though, from what I can see, his soul does look deliciously pure. I wouldn't mind having a taste of it while slowly tainting it."

Lucien got up and pushed her back, shaking his head while she pouted and looked away in fake apology and shame. "Not even a small nibble, my Lord?" She tried in a weak voice, sighing and resting against his side when he shook his head. "I am starting to dislike him. You, of all creatures, never protected someone like this."

Although Asmodeus was one of the demons who had the gift of a silver tongue and who rarely misspoke in front of Lucien, this time her words angered him so much so that his hands were around her neck as soon as she had finished her sentence. She heard nothing but his deep voice ordering her to remember her place and a shiver of fear mixed with pleasure filled her body, a loud moan leaving her plump red lips. "As you wish, my lord," she said in a husky voice and climbed in his lap, rubbing her face against his chest, enjoying the three wings that covered her and armor that scratched her face.

Someone stopped at the table and narrowed their eyes, head tilted in complete confusion. The man thought he was seeing something that wasn't natural, that wasn't supposed to be there and, even though his brain was clouded by the one who governed over lust, seeing something as unnatural as what he was would be powerful enough to awaken him from the spell.

"What in the world?" The man muttered after staring for a few good minutes and made to move closer, but Lucien waved his hand and numbed the man's mind, sending him on his marry way, a little whisper in the man's head convincing him that everything strange he might have seen was caused by the huge amount of alcohol he had ingested.

"Now where –"The question died on Lucien's lips, feeling Aiden tugging desperately at his connection with him. He got up from the sofa, allowing Asmodeus to drop on the floor and ignoring her protests, concentrating on trying to establish a decent mind link with the man.

He tried once and again and again and every time the connection grew weaker and weaker and Lucien realized that Aiden was in grave danger. He felt his life force slowly extinguishing and realized that the human was on Death's door step. Slapping Asmodeus's hands away from his leg, he teleported to Aiden's room, anger blinding him at the sight that greeted him.

"You dare go against my words?" He roared and the four succubi quickly jumped up and away from the passed out Aiden, cowering in a corner of the room.

"We are sorry, our Lord!" The blonde one sobbed out, hugging the other three close to her body, trying to shield herself from the devil's wrath.

"We asked and he didn't say no!" The brunette quickly added and tried to hide her lecherous smile while gazing at Aidan. "And his taste was mesmerizing. We only wanted a small portion, but we couldn't stop. We were so hungry," she lamented, yelling when Asmodeus snapped her fingers and turned her into ashes.

Lucien sat by Aiden's side and tried to will the man back to consciousness, ordering the other three succubi back to hell. Asmodeus was bowing and apologizing, promising to hand them over to Aamon for a fitting punishment.

"Later," Lucien said over his shoulder, summoning Vepar and ordering him to heal the man, stomped that he couldn't do it.

"My Lord, if I may…" the Great Duke of Hell started, head bowed and scaled hands held above his head, offering himself to Lucien's wrath. "If you with your power cannot heal, what could I, a mere duke do? I can heal wounds and sores, but I cannot give back the life energy that a succubus drained. Let along that drained by four at the same time."

Lucien waved his hand and sent Vepar away, ending up calling an ambulance of all things. He would have laughed at the very human thing he had just done if he wasn't too busy trying to keep himself from threatening the humans with eternal torture should Aiden lose his life while answering their mundane questions.

Aiden hadn't taken any drugs, he said – the man was naturally high on life after the two had met. They'd come back from a party where drinking had been involved and they started to watch a random movie when Aiden suddenly got up and went to his room, claiming to be sleepy. The next thing he knew, the man wouldn't wake up and wouldn't breathe properly.

Two hours had passed since then and Lucien convinced the hospital staff with no trouble that he was family and that he was allowed in Aiden's room –a private one room paid by a mysterious lawyer by the name of Milton while the papers may have named Lucien as Aiden's husband or something insignificant as that; he'd have to deal with that later, the demon assumed- and that the visiting hours weren't over when he was concerned.

"I'll admit to being shocked to actually find you here. I was so sure everyone was pulling my leg, as the humans would put it," someone said in an emotionless voice tone, which Lucien recognized instantly. "Are you that excited about this one's soul that you can't wait for it to be delivered in your realm?"

"Azrael," Lucien muttered, moving to sit between the newcomer and Aiden's bed. "Interesting, 'attire' you have there," the demon continued, looking at the male nurse that regarded him with hollow eyes and an impassive expression. "What are you doing here?" He asked in a dry voice, eyes narrowed, a thin shadow creeping by his side, two burning eyes glaring at its natural enemy.

"This human likes to call himself an angel of merciful death. Fitting, don't you think?" He tried sidestepping Lucien, but the demon grabbed his arm and twisted it, making it more than obvious that he was dead set on keeping him away from Aiden. "Blame the rumors and the fact that every entity in the world felt a massive shift in reality. And I also wanted to see the human you of all creatures care for," the grip only increased and Azrael was sure he head a bone crack in there. "It is not his time, honestly. Not like you could stop me if it were."

Lucien relaxed his hold on Azrael's hand, but still didn't let go. He knew, of course, that the angel was telling the truth, but he still didn't feel at lease with the angel so close to the unconscious Aiden. Not that the man's soul would end up anywhere but Hell if he died right then and there, but he wanted him to entertain him a bit longer in the human world.

"But he will die at some point and…" He glanced between Aiden and Lucien and tried a grin of sorts, face pulling back so much that the demon swore he heard the skin crack. "I am quite happy that I didn't take that person on that bet. The again, you know one can never win a bet when-"

"I am more than aware for that," Lucien snapped, letting go of Azrael and sitting down on the bed, right on Aiden arm. "I don't want to see around this human until his time comes, unless you want me to go after you favorites." Scratching his neck, the devil continued talking with the most innocent expression on his face. "You know who I am talking about. Those few people who keep living without pain, even though their time is already up."

The room's temperature dropped a few degrees and Lucien grinned, pleased with the subtle changes in Azrael's face and stance. "Has the time spent in their realm affected you as well? This is Mephistopheles all over again." The lights flickered and the machines that Aiden was connected to blinked. "How about I make sure you also lose Aiden? How about I lock this one's soul on earth for eternity and shield him from your eyes, hmm?" the angel countered, hands fisted by his side.

"I'll drag each and every one of your favorites in Hell myself while they are still alive," Lucien fought back, his face twisting. "So deep in Hell, in fact, that it will take you millenniums to find them and by the time you do, their souls would belong to me. And you know what has to happen in order for souls to leave my realm."

The two entities locked eyes with each other in something that might be confused with a glaring contest - if anyone dared to suggest that the Devil and Death would do something as petty and childish as that- getting ready to fight. Lucien slowly raised his left hand while Azrael shifted his weight on his left leg, hands in front, ready to summon his weapon and fight back.

It wasn't as if any of the two could actually cease existing, but they could do enough damage to each other to be forced to leave the human realm for a certain amount of time. And it all mattered on how powerful the first strike was, because they both could feel a heavy glare that was on the back of their necks and they both felt the atmosphere starting to shift, becoming heavier and the air much purer around them.

A weak tug on Lucien's shirt broke the demon's attention and he was staring in Aiden's tired eyes, getting up from the bed when he realized that he was sitting on Aiden's other hand. He got a small smile as thanks, Azrael excusing himself in order to call the doctors, easily falling back in his role as a nurse.

"I simply cannot comprehend how you are still alive, Aiden," Lucien muttered once all the doctors were gone and some of the tubes were removed. "I mean, I said this before and I will say it again. You are stupid, extremely stupid." The demon tapped Aiden's head softly, grinning.

"Sorry," Aiden rasped, feeling like he had swallowed a thousand needles. "I wasn't thinking…"

Pushing a glass of water to his lips, Lucien grumbled, glaring at all the shadows in the room and daring them to laugh. "Then again, those four never had a human turn their back on them. But you had control over them. I told them to follow your instructions to the letter."

"They did…No coworkers harmed…Forgot about me. Are they okay?" He got another glass of water shoved in his face as an answer, Lucien not looking him in the eyes. Stupid question, Aiden concluded and tried not to feel bad about what might have happened with the four creatures that almost sucked the life out of him. "Who were you arguing with?" Aiden asked after the third glass of water, happy that his throat wasn't as scratchy as before.

"His name is Azrael. Now go to sleep. I think I heard something about you needing a lot of rest." The room shifted a bit and when Lucien lay back in bed, on top of the covers, there was room enough to spare and Lucien was nowhere near the IV's that were sticking out of Aiden's arms. He would shroud the room and make it look like nothing was wrong and disappear long before Aiden's family busted through the door in the morning – he made sure to delay them.

"Azrael sounds familiar," Aiden whispered, opening one eye and turning his head to look at the back of Lucien's head. "Think I read it in that book. Can't remember though…Who is he?"

"A nosy angel who likes to pretend he knows everything important and can't stand it when something world altering happens and he is left out of the loop," Lucien grumbled, ignoring the fact that yes, Azrael did indeed know everything important since he was the only one who knew without a doubt when everyone would die. "Nothing more than a pest and that is all you need to know. Now shut up and go to sleep. And when I get home, I am getting rid of that book. Who knows what you'll summon next with your curiosity."

Aiden started to laugh, which wasn't such a good thing as not a second later his laughs dissolved into painful coughs and Lucien clicked his tongue, rolling his eyes. "Sorry, but it was funny, you have to admit," the human muttered after feeling the fire in his lungs die down. "I already summoned the devil himself and gave him my soul. What else could I do?"

"Trigger the end of the world somehow," the demon replied and then pinched Aidan's hand before the human could start laughing again. "When we get back home, I am taking that book from you, understand?"

All he got as a reply were light snoring sounds and for a moment he thought about kicking the human and waking him up. But he thought better and instead moved a little to the edge of the bed, making sure Aiden had enough room. He ignored Azrael when he came back to actually check on the human like his 'vessel' was supposed to do, but returned the room to its original appearance and disappeared when the angel returned for a third time and warned him that the morning rounds were starting. And if Death thought that Lucien thanked him, he was gravely mistaken.

* * *

Asmodeus – One of the seven princes of Hell and, according to Binsfeld's classification of demons from 1589, represented the sin of Lust.

Vepar – One of the seventy-two demons from the lesser key of Solomon. Represented as a mermaid, but always described with male pronouns. It is said that he could kill men in 3 days by infecting the wounds, but fully healed people if asked by the person who conjured him.

Azrael – Angel of Death in some folklore


	5. Chapter 5

Thank you very much for the reviews :)

As usual, no beta. Please enjoy~

* * *

He had ignored the call for as long as he could, locking the tingling sensation in the back of his brain for as long as he could and focusing on Aiden and the own little turmoil caused by Aamon's assistance in the three remaining succubi's punishment. But then the call had become louder and more desperate, until Lucien could no longer ignore it.

So he gave in to it, three months after feeling it for the first time. So one morning he sent word to Aiden that he was detained with business and couldn't entertain their usual lunch habit and sought out the human whose mind held within the pocket dimension of the creature summoning him so insistently.

Mephistopheles's realm was quite interesting; Lucien would be the first to admit to that. A realm hidden inside a human's mind and the irony was that the demon which lived in it had always wanted to be able to get into a mortal's head. It also got transferred to a new human every time the previous one died and none were the wiser. The only clue as to what these humans actually held hidden within them was a special affinity towards the strange and eerie.

There was also a certain hellish nuance the realm held thanks the colorless trees filled with eternally dead leaves, their twisted branches reaching out towards the dark and starless sky on which a red full moon shone. There was no wind or pleasant smells –or any kind of smells, for that matter. But while in Hell you felt damned, this place still held a bit of hope around in it.

He caught glimpses of all sorts of creatures hiding behind trees, some bowing their twisted heads when realizing that they had been caught staring while others broke into silent runs. Some were cute, some were weird and some were scary, but the scary ones did not have that sense of danger demons had around them, so Lucien was more than sure that they were also harmless. Plus, Mephistopheles never had dangerous creatures close to his heart and sought the beauty and frailty of the human world even while in hell.

It was no wonder that the demon's sanity had declined over the past decades. Locked away in a place where he could only grab little images and ideas from humanity, never allowed to directly interact with any of his precious humans unless Lucien himself walked them in his realm, holding them by their hand. And Lucien didn't plan on doing that anytime soon.

His train of thoughts got derailed by the appearance of a tall man in a suit and without a face from behind a tree and bowed low, extending one of his abnormally hands to the right, becoming Lucien to follow him. After a short walk, by a river that reflected a much joyful and colorful world than what it was, they reached a small and unimposing house. The silent creature bowed again and opened the door for Lucien, asking him silently to take a seat on a purple armchair and then disappeared.

"An interesting creature, made up by humans," a pleasant voice came from behind Lucien, a cup of steaming tea appearing before the demon. "Its name slips me currently, but he is a most useful butler. Not much of a talker, though." A man dressed in an olive three-piece suit with short white hair and a small goatee sat across Lucien, a pleasant smile on his face. "But then again, the whole missing his facial features might have been a dead giveaway for his lack of conversation skills."

Lucien's eyes narrowed, feeling his patience instantly draining at the sight of the other demon's face. "It has hands, you know. You could…" Massaging his temples, the demon trailed off and fixed Mephisto with a cold glare. "I am quite busy at the moment," he started, tracing the little butterfly pattern on his tea cup with a talon. "So you will understand why I am most displeased to feel such a strong and demanding summon from the likes of you," he finished but only felt more annoyed since the calm smile of the other demon's face did not waver.

Even before losing part of his mind to the humans and to this dimension, Mephistopheles had a very different way of showing respect towards his lord. While others bowed, he'd walk up and shake his hand, exploding into a long and rushed rant about who had taught him that. Yet Lucien always tended to turn a blind eye, amused more than insulted by the other's antics. And it always gave him pleasure to see the other demons fret and worry around Mephisto, trying to drown out the rant with their apologies.

Ba'al, however, had always been the one to loudly express his concerns about Mephistopheles's fascination with humans. After all, it was from the humans that he picked up all those insulting habits and never ending stories. And he did talk a lot about wishing to be born as a human instead of what he was now.

Then the demon's concerns turned into anger – a great feat, as the old goat was the most patient demon in Hell- when Mephistopheles came up to him and admitted he felt regret for being so rash in his decision to turn his back on God's newest creation. Ba'al had outright demanded that Lucien punish him and teach him a lesson, but the devil ignored him. Even though he regretted becoming a demon and apparently he was in love with humanity, he was still dragging tainted souls into Hell.

But then the day came when Mephistopheles ran in the throne room in tears, cursing everything about him and about those who surrounded him, renouncing his title. On his knees he begged Lucien to bring him Faust back or to allow him to live in a place where he could forget what he was. Ba'al had kept silent throughout the whole deal, but Lucien could hear the unspoken scolding.

"I allowed for this realm to be created," Lucien started to say in a threatening voice, hearing the slight hitch in the other's demon's breathing - a habit he picked up from the lambs, of course. "Hear me out," he said quickly, raising his hand to keep Mephistopheles in his seat. "I had granted you this wish even though you failed me and I asked for nothing in return." Pausing, the demon tilted his head, pinching the bridge of his nose. "That being said, I fail to understand how you got the gall to call me over in such a rude manner."

Swallowing hard and looking away, Mephistopheles started to wipe a nonexistent stain from the table. "I really did not mean to offend, my Lord," he muttered, actually looking ashamed. "I am merely curious about certain whispers I head in dreams."

Lucien barked a laugh, head tilted back. The other started to fidget and the silent creature took a step closer to him, appearance changing slightly at feeling his master's discomfort. "Best you make it clear to that creature just who holds the ultimate power within these walls, Mephistopheles," Lucien said suddenly, all traces of amusement gone from his features, his right hand raised in the direction of the featureless butler.

Quickly jumping up and pushing his servant out of the room –meeting quite a bit of resistance just before closing the door in front of him-, Mephistopheles bowed low for the first time in front of his lord, being for nothing in his realm to be destroyed. "I would have come to you myself, great Lord," the demon said quickly, head bowed low "But it was made so that I cannot leave this place."

"And for good reasons, I might add. But enough of that," Lucien said, pouring out the tea in the cup. "So you called me to gossip, hmm? To cut this troublesome visit short, yes. Yes, I do have a favorite human and, unlike you, I will bring his soul to Hell."

Mephistopheles fisted his hands at the reminder that he had lost his friend, but fought to keep silent, forcing himself to smile. "Well, Azrael did mention something about how my Lord was ready to fight him to keep the human alive and a little birdie told me that you got most upset when someone sort of insulted him," the narrowed eyes that glared back at him made him feel a bit more confident. "Would you terribly mind if I were to ask you why you lost your temper my lord?"

"What a silly question, Mephisto," Lucien replied calmly, though he was slowly carving death curses in the other's table. "Might have been the same reason you lost yours when the angels took Faust away from you."

The other's face dropped instantly and he shot back in his chair, as if the words had hurt him physically. The subject of Faust, the man he had grown to see as a brother even more than his own kind was still a sour subject and will probably always remain that. And Lucien was more than aware of it and thus, always brought it up whenever he felt that Mephisto stepped out of line too much. Perhaps he should have taken Ba'al's advice and demand a proper show of respect from the other a long time ago.

"I see that it is a touchy subject, my Lord," Mephisto spat out and brought his hand up, starting to chew on his thumb. He needed a bit of time to calm down enough not to lash out and get obliterated and thankfully enough, Lucien felt lazy enough to allow him to do so. "Then might I ask if it is possible that my Lord wishes to keep the human alive for a bit longer?" He tried again after he had emptied his cup of tea.

"Oh, I was wrong." Lucien said suddenly, nodding to himself. "You called me here to give me lessons on proper human care. Funny, from the two of us, I believed only one decided that it was a good idea to share Walpurgisnacht with a human."

Flinching a bit, Mephistopheles raised his hands in a silence admittance of his mistake. "I had my eyes on Faust throughout the entire ball, my Lord." Resting his hand on top of Lucien's arm, the other demon looked at his lord with a serious expression. He had wanted to talk about something serious with Lucien, but he couldn't properly stop his erratic and slightly broken mind from playing with pure danger. "My Lord, humans are fragile things that can disappear in the blink of an eye…"

Shrugging the other's hand off, Lucien sat up, frowning. He knew what the other wanted to say, of course. And he was aware just how fragile humans were – their souls even more than their bodies, as his pits from Hell stood as evidence. "Enough, enough, I understand," Lucien muttered, sounding somehow tired to the other demon.

Touching the puddle of tea on the table with his pinky, Mephistopheles created a window in the human realm, smiling sheepishly at the glare that was thrown his way. It had taken the demon tens of years to figure out a way to steal glimpses into the human world. He was risking having that little window taken away from him, but he simply couldn't help himself – he just had to show his Lord that he was still a sly demon. Or maybe just flaunt the fact that he found a way to see his humans. He couldn't really make up his mind.

Focusing on the scene that played before them, they saw Aiden enjoying an early lunch with a woman from work - the same pretty little thing with green eyes and red hair that visited him in the hospital three times, Lucien's memory supplied. She was laughing at something the other had said, though Lucien wondered if Aiden had indeed wanted to make her laugh or if it was by accident.

"Clara, her name is Clara," Lucien muttered to himself more than to the other demon. He felt something cold sparked in his chest and he rested his hand over it, shaking his head at the inquiring look he received from his companion.

"Now just look at that hair," Mephistopheles said suddenly, his full attention on the portal before them, face almost glued to it. "Someone like that would have been branded as a witch and burned at the stake back in Faust's time, I am sure. I can't blame the kid for liking her. Are you sure she is not one of ours?" the demon asked, tilting his head back to get a good look at his Lord, dodging in the nick of time a slap that would have sent him face first into the table. "I was only making a joke, my Lord."

"Distasteful one, as always," the other muttered his full attention on the girl. Now that Mephistopheles pointed it out, he could see the way Aiden was looking at her, the shyness his eyes bore whenever landed on her and the way he quickly looked away when it seemed like she might look back at him. It was disgustingly sweet.

They continued to watch the two for a while longer, none of them saying anything, although that proved to be a great feat on Mephistopheles's part since the demon was just dying to open his mouth and start describing other great creatures that human had created in their minds. But allowing Lucien to acknowledge to himself that he was feeling a tiny bit of jealousy towards a human was more important.

Lucien pushed the chair back and got up, waving his hand and closing the portal through which they were watching Aiden. Panicked at first, Mephisto relaxed when he sensed that he could still open his little window to the human realm if he wished and then turned to watch his lord's retreating back. "Is everything in order, my Lord?" he called out in fake concern, dissolving into a fight of laughter once he felt the strong presence of his lord disappear from his realm.

Aiden was startled at the sudden appearance of Lucien before him, but smiled at him a moment later, pushing his chair back and getting up. "I was just talking with Clara about you," he said eagerly, the demon taking the woman's hand in his and placing a peck on her knuckles.

"Aiden was just telling me about how you two met while hiking," she said, her eyebrow going up in surprise when Lucien sat next to Aiden and rested his head on the man's shoulder.

Of course Aiden started to ask if Lucien was okay and the demon pretended to have a headache, grinning at the woman when he was sure only she could see him. "_There"_, he thought. "_Know that even thought this one is interested in you in a sexual way, my wellbeing comes first._"

Clara just stared at him in confusion, unable to hear the demon's silent challenge. But, she figured, from what Aiden told her, the two only had each other. Maybe Lucien was slightly jealous that his friend had taken a lunch without him. Or maybe she had been mistaken about Aiden shyly flirting with her and the both of them were…? No, no, she was sure that Lucien was just feeling a bit threatened.

"Wait, can you even get headaches?"

***TBC***

Aamon - demon associated with the deadly sin of wrath.

Mephistopheles - demon that appears in German folklore.


End file.
